Joseph l



J. L. JoYoE.

(No Model.)

SHOE.

Patented Aug. '7, 1883.

l I if N. PETERS. PhamLimoy-apmr. whmgwn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JOsEEII L. JOYCE, OE NEw HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

SHOE.

SPECIFICATION" arming part of Letters Patent No. 282,901, dated August '7, 1883.

Application filed June 3|), 1853. (No model.)

provement in Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in'- v Figure l, a perspective view; Fig. 2, adiagram showing the blank for cuttingthe anklevpiece C; Fig. 3, a transverse section through the Ventilating-holes, enlarged.

This invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of that class of shoes commonly called Congress shoes7 7 or gaitersW-that is to say, shoes whichhave an elastictop which will yield for the insertion of the foot and then contract to properly embrace the ankle. Usually this class of shoes has been made with au elastic gore introducedupon one or both sides, and in some cases it has been introduced upon the instep, in others upon the heel; but in any case it has been required to stitch the elastic material to the upper at the two edges of the gore. The elastic threadsin such agore-piece are liable to slip within the fabric, because of A lack of proper security at the edges of the gore, and thus destroy the elasticity of that part of the fabric where such loosened threads are. Another serious difficulty in this class of shoes arises from the fact that they fit the ankle so vClosely there is no opportunity for circulation of air about the foot, and thus the shoes are hot and uncomfortable-serious objections to this otherwise desirable class of shoes. l

The object of my invention -is to overcome these difficulties; and it consists, first, in constructing the ankle portion of the shoe from elastic material, so as to give a continuous el astic piece around the ankle-that is, with but a Single seam and, secondly, in series of perforations extending through the upper over the instep portion of the shoe, and having linesof stitches adjacent to and substantially parallel with such perforations, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the foxing, substantially as in the usual Congress gaiter. The ankle portion ofthe shoe is cut from elastic fabric, prefera. bly as seen in Fig. 2, the vertical central line, a, of the blank, as seen in Fig. 2, being thecentral line of the instep, the blank extending each way so far that the two edges b b will meet on the heel-line. At the front a vertical slit, d, is cut from the lower side of this blank up to the ankle-joint, the lower edge, e, at each side following a line corresponding to the foxing. This blank is placed upon the upper in 'the usual manner, its lower edges, e, stitched to the foxing, the split d, dividing at the center, passing down one each side the instep, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. l, to the foxing,

so that the instep passes through the slit. The

that the ankle portion C of the shoe is substantially a continuous piece of elastic-that is, ex-v tends entirely around the ankl e-thus giving a greatly-increased extent of elasticity to the shoe-opening, as well as avoiding the slipping of the elastic thread, as Inust be the case where gores are employed.

Instead of making the seam at the heel, it Inay be made at some 'other point in the piecethat is, for instance, at one side on the vertical ankle-line, or'it may be on the instep-line. In that case the two edges will be stitchedtogether from the top down to the point where the slit begins, to permit the two sides to pass down over the instep, or at any other desirable point, the essential feature of this part of my invention being a substantially-continuous elastic ankle portion, C, of the shoe-that is, an ankle portion cut from fabric and having but a single seam.

To ventilato the shoe through the insteppiece B, Imake series f of small perforations' preferably in some ornamental design--and then to secure the thicknesses of that part of the shoe together, so that the perforations shall register and leave 'a free opening, I stitch the several thicknesses together by lines of stitches substantially parallel or surrounding the perforations. This construction leaves the instep portion Of the shoe .Open for free circulation of air, and is at that part of the shoe Where such ventilation or cooling is most desirable, and thus I obviate the difficulties heretofore existing in this desirable class of shoes.

I claini- Y 1. The hereindescribed improvement in Congress shoes, consisting in the ankle portion C, composed of a continuous piece of elastic fabric, so as to surround the ankle, its two edges united, and with a slit at the front, to permit said elastic material to pass to each side over the instep, substantially as described.

2. In a shoe, series of perforations through 

